Vehicle Type: Fighter / Reconnaissance / Fighter-Bomber
Great Britain (UK / Via Australian sub tree)
Proposed Rank / BR: Rank II / ~2.3 BR
- Yes as a Tech Tree vehicle
- Yes as a Premium vehicle
- Yes as an Event vehicle
- No
Overview
The Republic P-43 Lancer is the critical link between the P-35 and the iconic P-47 Thunderbolt. While used in small numbers by the USAAF and the Chinese Nationalist Air Force, eight Lancers—including four P-43Ds—served with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) starting in August 1942. Attached to No. 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit (1 PRU) operating out of Hughes Strip and Coomalie Creek in the Northern Territory, these aircraft served as high-altitude recon and escort assets before being modified locally by 1 Aircraft Depot (1 AD) at Laverton to carry under wing ordnance. Adding the RAAF P-43D to the British/Commonwealth aviation tree provides a unique early-war high-altitude interceptor with an interesting history and solid low-BR performance.
P-43D (A-56-6) before it was written off
Brief History of the P-43D and its RAAF service
Background:
The Republic P-43D Lancer was a specialized photo-reconnaissance variant of the World War II-era P-43 fighter, converted from existing P-43A airframes. Designed by Alexander Kartveli as a direct evolutionary bridge between the earlier Seversky P-35 and the iconic P-47 Thunderbolt, the P-43 featured the distinctive “razorback” fuselage profile and turbo-supercharged radial engine that became key blueprints for the Thunderbolt. While the baseline P-43 fighter was quickly deemed obsolete for frontline combat due to a lack of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, its excellent high-altitude performance made it an ideal long-range photo-reconnaissance platform. The Republic P-43 Lancer played a brief but critical role in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) between late 1942 and 1943. Handed over to Australia to plug an urgent operational gap, the Lancer provided the RAAF with its first true high-altitude photo-reconnaissance capability over the Southwest Pacific theatre.
Arrival and RAAF Service:
The RAAF received four P-43Ds and four P-43Bs on loan from USAAF stocks in late 1942 (serial numbers A56-1 through A56-8) in an attempt to replace the aging B2A Brewster Buffalos currently in service with the RAAF. During early November 1942, RAAF engineers at 1 AD Laverton modified the aircraft for extended operations. Uniquely, RAAF P-43Ds (A56-1, A56-2, A56-7, and A56-8) were fitted with reinforced underwing attachment points to support custom 30-gallon drop tanks or 250 lb bombs, turning the recon variant into a capable fighter-bomber. It wasn’t until December 1942 that P-43D were pushed into frontline service under an emergency action due to a shortage of RAAF Brewster Buffalos. Operating alongside Brewster Buffaloes and later F-4 Lightnings, 1 PRU flew the Lancers on demanding high-altitude missions across Northern Australia. During this time 1PRU lost 4 P-43B/D due to damages caused via taxing with the survivors were eventually returned to the USAAF in May 1943. Funnily enough during this time, the Buffalos in use by the RAAF survived their attempted usurping and soldiered on until 1943 before they too were withdrawn from service.
P-43D (A-56-6) crashed, the damaged sustained resulted in the airframe being written off
P-43D bomb trial records for P-43D (A-65-5) and P-43D (A-56-7)
Specifications & Armament
Flight Performance & Specifications
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-49 Twin Wasp (1,200 hp at 25,000 ft) with a General Electric turbosupercharger.
- Max Speed: ~356 mph (572 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m).
- Climb Rate: ~2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s).
- Service Ceiling: 36,000 ft (10,970 m)
Armament & Suspended Ordnance
- Guns: 4×12.7mm (.50 cal) M2 Browning machine guns (2 in the upper nose cowl, 1 in each wing).
- 2× 250lbs AN-M57 bombs or 2x GP 250lbs on underwing hardpoints.
- 2× 30 US gal custom RAAF drop tanks.
Its place in War Thunder
- Playstyle: Excellent high-altitude energy fighter (Boom & Zoom). Unlike contemporary liquid-cooled fighters at lower Rank II, the turbo-supercharged R-1830 engine holds its engine power exceptionally well above 5,000 meters , allowing it to easily outperform Zeros, early Ki-43s, and Bf 109s at high altitudes.
- Ground Support: The addition of the RAAF-specific 250lbs bomb shackles give it utility in Ground Realistic Battles as an early CAS option for Commonwealth lineups.
Sources
ADF Serials - Republic Lancer . (2016). Adf-Serials.Com.Au. ADF Serials - Republic Lancer
P-43 . (2026). Olddogsplanes.Com. P-43
Brunner, K. (2026). RAAF Camouflage & Markings 1939–45 vol.2, Kookaburra Technical publications. Scribd. Client Challenge
REPUBLIC P-43 LANCER · The Encyclopedia of Aircraft David C. Eyre . (2019, May 19). Aeropedia. https://aeropedia.com.au/content/republic-p-43-lancer/
